Bank Cutter

[bill18163]

I have often seen tractors using a bank cutting attachment that is simply a brush hog on the end of a hydraulic boom that can be used to cut the berms or banks along highways. It will cut small trees and it can be lifted up high enough to cut tree limbs too. Does a good job of cutting up to about 10-15 feet of bank growth. I have never seen this type of attachment for sale anywhere. Is it not made by any mfg. for the homeowner or small land owner?

 

[JackIL]

There are several that you can find by doing a search for "tractor mounted boom mower."

JackIL

 

[wrangler6831]

Sabre Samurai | Questions and Answers Im needing one for the same purpose and this is the cheapest solution I have run across. Havent bought yet but most likely will in the spring.

 

[katoomed00]

I made my own vertical cutter , used a 38" deck from an old riding mower and a 5 hp horizontal shaft motor, mounted everything to a frame, attacked it to the side of FEL, works great, it will either slip the belt or kills the motor if I hit something to large.

I don't have much money invested, just a few hours of time. I put several pieces of expanded metal around it to prevent branches from getting to the motor and belt, also helps prevents from me getting hit from flying debris.

I do like the Samurai, it would be cool to cut under the fence and probably safer, but 1500 bucks it a bit high

 

[aczlan]

I have often seen tractors using a bank cutting attachment that is simply a brush hog on the end of a hydraulic boom that can be used to cut the berms or banks along highways. It will cut small trees and it can be lifted up high enough to cut tree limbs too. Does a good job of cutting up to about 10-15 feet of bank growth. I have never seen this type of attachment for sale anywhere. Is it not made by any mfg. for the homeowner or small land owner?

They are more common in Europe. IIRC, they are $12k for a used one around here.

Aaron Z

 

[GPintheMitten]

I just followed the posted link to Sabre Samurai. Boy does that site need work. Home page shows in its "news" section an upcoming 2008 event.

Videos and picture galleries are empty.

Almost looks abandoned.

EDIT: Never mind. My mistake. I see the pics and videos on my PC. I was on my phone before and they didn't show.

 

[Rocky Hoffler]

The price on these are not for faint of heart and tractor needs counter balance on opposite side from mower plus mower is ran by hydraulics so tractor needs large capacity hyd. tank and pump

 

[RoyJackson]

There's a British company that manufactures just what you need. I couldn't find the link, but it was posted on TBN several months ago. IIRC, the price was 6500...but I can't recall if that was pounds sterling, dollars or euros.

 

[boggen]

there is a good amount of manufactures that offer boom mowers.... from regular tractors, to ones that fit onto a backhoe / excavator, to boom trucks, to other.

due to size of tractor or truck or unit, the overall cost can be cost prohibitive for a home owner. and then comes the cost of the actual boom and counter weight, and then cost for what ever you want on the end of it.... as a result you normally only see smaller to medium size businesses forking up the cash for them, or townships or like that needs them to get road size banks.

for a home owner... it generally comes down to a walk behind (self propelled) weed trimmer (made to cut tall weeds), or a straight shaft weed eater with a metal brush blade on it.

 

[wrangler6831]

I just followed the posted link to Sabre Samurai. Boy does that site need work. Home page shows in its "news" section an upcoming 2008 event.

Videos and picture galleries are empty.

Almost looks abandoned.

The videos and pictures all show for me. You have to click on the video links on the right side of the page. Also show a 2014 copyright at the bottom of the page.

And as for being priced high, you cant touch a used New Holland or even an old MF dyna-balance for that in my area for less than $1700-1800 I thought they were quite reasonable. To each his own

 

[GPintheMitten]

The videos and pictures all show for me. You have to click on the video links on the right side of the page. Also show a 2014 copyright at the bottom of the page.

And as for being priced high, you cant touch a used New Holland or even an old MF dyna-balance for that in my area for less than $1700-1800 I thought they were quite reasonable. To each his own

I see the pics and videos now (on my PC). I was on my phone before and they didn't show.

This cutter looks pretty good.

 

[Coyote machine]

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/hydraulics/319963-flow-control-not-sickle-bar.html
The link is my thread about the Samuri and at the end my review of same, after having bought and used it for a short run in. Feel free to ask any questions about it.

 

[JWR]

The price on these are not for faint of heart and tractor needs counter balance on opposite side from mower plus mower is ran by hydraulics so tractor needs large capacity hyd. tank and pump

Not the ones i have seen. Most "attachment" types cost over $10K (that do not become the preoccupying sole function of the tractor) and mount on the 3 pt hitch and have their own PTO-driven pumps. Thus the tractor does not need large capacity sump or pump at all. I currently own an Orsi brand of the 3pt attachment type. VERY robust, will cut darn near anything. I had a skid-steer compatible 5ft hog mounted on my front end loader that WAS driven by tractor hydraulics but the tractor hydraulics were inadequate. It would cut OK but clogged all the time. On top of that, nearly all tractors under 100hp (any many above that too) have "one track mind" hydraulics -- meaning that if you manipulate the loader angles or raise it you shut off the other remotes and the cutter has to start up all over again. Very unsatisfactory. Then there are the ones that become the preoccupying sole function of the tractor -- not what I would call attachment types. Those are the ones you see along the highways cutting road banks. It takes a shop with lifts etc to get them on and off the tractor and the individual cannot cope with them in general unless he leaves the thing on the tractor. Those are even more expensive yet (often over $20K) and the pump is typically driven off the front end of the crankshaft of rather large tractors. The mfrs always show sizes paired with tractor weight/size in their literature. There are a few attachment type units made for smaller tractors...
Use your Google -- VMC sells Orsi brand, makes their own cutting heads, etc. Bush Hog makes boom cutters as do several others. If you do get into these things there are several very important warnings about attaching them to avoid tractor damage. Dealers are not always thorough about telling you these things. Contact me if you like.